


Forgiven

by BumblingSeaBiscuit



Category: Blizzard - Fandom, Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Content, F/M, Hardships, Overwatch - Freeform, Romance, Violence, blizzard, third person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:21:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26505844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumblingSeaBiscuit/pseuds/BumblingSeaBiscuit
Summary: Forgiven is a Genji Shimada and Angela Ziegler focused fanfic novella.While based in canon, it will take creative liberties and extend upon in-between moments.
Relationships: Gency - Relationship, Genji Shimada & Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Genji Shimada/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Mercy x Genji
Kudos: 31





	1. { Hook }

# ❝Real life is not like the stories our father told us.❞  
  
❝No, it's not— but the real world and your stories do have something in common.❞  
  
❝What is that?❞  
  
❝ _Hope_.❞


	2. { The Beginnning }

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting to remember between Genji and Angela— but just how memorable will it be?

It was raining. Typically, that would kill the mood of most clubbers. Yet, even that night, Kokahu had a line that spanned several blocks. Renowned for its aesthetics, its DJs, its dance floors— well, simply put: it crossed all the Ts and dotted every I. That night, Lúcio's music could be heard throughout all the blocks the line took up. Not that _she_ had to wait, of course. The luxury of having connections in high places meant that Angela was able to bypass the front door and enter through an emergency exit.

Reconnaissance wasn’t usually her style. However, the mission required a certain look, and it was one no one could argue she hit. Gabriel made a point of reminding her every opportunity he got. Her hair, her dress, her stature, it was all scrutinized under his gaze. By the time she stepped into the limo, Angela had just about shot him.

“Ya look nice, Angela,” Torbjörn pointedly complimented as he held the door open for her.

“Thank you, Torbjörn.”

As she was escorted away, Angela barely overheard Torbjörn chasting Reyes for his remarks. A wide array of arm flailing was spotted and a smile blossomed on her features. A quiet chuckle was tucked into her palm then she steeled herself for the mission ahead. Intelligence had a lead on a possible asset for Overwatch— someone who could assist them against the Shimada clan. That it was Sojiro’s youngest son was what added an extra layer of complexity.

Angela was meant to stand out, not enough to catch suspicion, but enough to catch attention. When she walked through the doors, one hand rose to press an index finger to her ear. She winced at the volume but shook her head and quickly regained composure. Sky blue gaze scanned the dance floors and then the main bar. Lips twisted into a thoughtful bud and she stepped by a few patrons. When she ended up at the counter, Angela rested her elbow upon it and placed her chin atop a fist.

“Sake,” she ordered when the bartender glanced in her direction.

Once the cup was set in front of her, Angela plucked it from the counter and pivoted. That she nearly dropped her beverage was something she’d omit from her statement. She was initially confronted by a set of pecs that took her several rapid blinks to remember were part of a person. Slowly, her gaze trailed its way upwards. She studied collarbones, throat, jawline— and that smile. It became clear why her target had such an easy time with his playboy lifestyle. A thought she was quick to dismiss as she swallowed thickly.

“Might I help you?” she managed after a stunned moment.

“I was thinking I could help you.”

Genji reached out and grabbed the sake from her hand. Angela’s brows creased as she watched him place it back onto the counter behind her. He called out for two ‘Lemon Sours’ and then gestured towards a nearby doorway. Angela inaudibly hummed but still opted to favor his offer. She stepped passed him and towards the door. She was greeted by two security guards, one of which opened the door for her. When she stepped beyond, the soundproofing became noticeable.

_No one would hear you get shot in this place, even if there wasn’t head-splitting noise._

Her un-gloved hand rose and rubbed her ear. The VIP lounge contrasted the main establishment rather shockingly. Liquid blacks were replaced with steely greys. Vivid pinks and purples were replaced by a nearly poison green paired with a sea blue; how close it was to the color of her eyes went unnoticed. When the door closed behind her, Angela pivoted on a gilded heel to look behind her. The displeasure wasn’t hidden from her expression when she noticed she was in a room alone with the youngest son of the Shimada clan.

“Most women would kill to have this opportunity and you are. . . frowning?”

“I am not most women. Was there a reason you brought me in here?”

“You are free to leave whenever you wish.”

“That wasn’t really my question, was it?”

“No, it wasn’t,” he answered with a laugh. “You looked lonely. And, who orders sake at a dance club?” 

“If they stock it, doesn’t that mean someone does?”

Another laugh escaped him and Genji stepped passed her. Angela turned slowly to follow where he walked. A table, surrounded by a plush alcove and paired with curtains for any privacy necessary. Arms crossed beneath her chest and she gave the door one more look. Still, her mission demanded that she follow him, and so she had. Though, a wave of her hand dismissed him from the center of the alcove so that he might sit across from her. He listened without comment— much to her surprise.

“I thought Shimada no Genji would get away from things like these. Private quarters at high end establishments. Sort of takes away from distancing yourself from your family.”

“You seem to know a lot about me and I do not even know your name.”

“Angela,” she answered honestly.

“Like Angel.”

“Like Angela.”

Genji’s shoulders rose into a meek shrug. His lips parted, ready to answer, but the doors reopened with the barkeep from before. He delivered the previously ordered Lemon Sours alongside a tea tray with a few Japanese desserts. Genji thanked him politely and then he was gone. The doors once more closed and they were left to their private session. Angela wasn’t sure whether or not she wanted privacy.

“—To answer your question, my family provides a convenient level of fortune. Appeals to my lifestyle.”

Angela’s brow perked but the otherwise dull look she gave him caused him to lean away. His arms rose onto the back of the cushions and one leg crossed over the other. Fingertips drummed against the couch while he watched his conversational partner a little more closely. Under his scrutiny, Angela reached out for the kettle and poured herself a cup of — what smelled like — sakura tea. The cup was placed in front of her while the Lemon Sour was set aside.

“What of you, Ms. Angela? Family? —A reason for snooping around?”

“First of all,” Angela said, her cup tapping against the table from a failed attempt to sip from it. “I am not snooping around. A woman can’t come to a club and get a drink these days? Second of all, no. . . No family.” 

The way her voice softened was enough for Genji to stop posturing. His arms were brought forward and he rested them crossed on the table, instead. His brows knit together while a frown finally found its way onto a more often amused expression. After a moment, he reached across the table and carefully set his hand upon her wrist. Angela’s gaze drifted from her beverage to his touch and then all the way up his arm. By the time she caught his eyes with hers, he had a look of genuine guilt.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to hit a nerve.”

“It’s fine,” it was an unconvincing response. “It was. . . long enough ago to be of no consequence.”

Genji squeezed her wrist softly and then withdrew. He glanced at the tea and finally poured himself a cup. A sip was taken and he cleared his throat following the heat, “I saw you enter through the back.”

“If I stood in that line, I would never get in, now would I?”

“I suppose not. Though, that is not really what I meant.”

Angela grinned, her first true smile of the evening, “Then you should probably speak more plainly.”

“You said you were not here to snoop but you managed to bypass the front door. Means you have connections. And what would someone with connections want to do in a place like this if not to find someone like me? And there is only one person like me.”

“You see one playboy you see them all.”

“Oof.”

Genji brought his hand to his chest and sunk into the cushion. A blow too deep for him to survive. Angela chuckled and finally managed to take a sip of her tea. When she was finished, she gestured towards the door.

“You’re right, I do have friends in high places— but can’t we both agree the politics of those high places are a bore? I’m told this is the best club in all of Japan. I came here to dance.”

“And yet, I found you at the bar, drinking sake.”

Angela tipped her head back and groaned. She pressed her palm to the top of the table and pushed herself from the table. Without further word, she began to walk towards the door. Genji cursed— something in Japanese that she hadn’t understood. When he rushed to her, he made sure to slow and sway into her path. His hands were held up in surrender which was enough to make her stop. She frowned up at him and tapped her heel against the ground.

“Gomen-nasai, Angela. I am sorry. Stay? There is still a pot of tea and you have not tried your Lemon Sour. It is a popular beverage.”

“The drinks are lovely, Genji. The interrogation is not. I understand someone of your stature must be careful but this is not the dance I came for.”

Genji bowed his head respectfully and slowly lowered his hands. One was offered out to her slowly and a smile tentatively grew on his features. Angela glanced at his peace offering and nigh snubbed it before he spoke, “Dance, then?”

A held breath was drawn from her and, after an all too still moment, Angela finally placed her hand in his. With a soft yank, he pulled her into his guard and brought his free hand to the back of her waistline. Angela rested hers on his bicep and submitted to his footwork— impeccable, but none-too-surprising given his family’s skill-set. Once she settled into stride, Genji took the creative liberty to spin her out from him with the beat. He held her at length for a moment before pulling her back in and twisting them both sharply. It was just enough action to keep her on her toes without stumbling.

“Do you dance often, Angela?”

“Not as much as I should.”

“Why is that?”

“Not all of us get to live carefree lifestyles, Genji. Some of us have jobs.”

Genji laughed and sent her into another spin. Only, when he brought her back, Angela was quick on her feet. Fast enough to trip him into an unexpected dip. His eyes blew open while she leaned over him from above. With a wink, she straightened back up and guided him along with her. She broke from their steps, then, and made her way back to the table. The Lemon Sour was considered but she went for the tea, instead.

“It is not drugged if that is what you are thinking.”

“That wouldn’t be your style,” she pointed out. “Bad for the reputation.”

“A reputation you remind me of but do not seem to want to partake in.”

“I told you before,” she recalled as she turned to face him. “When you’ve seen one playboy, you’ve seen them all. You said there isn’t anyone like you, right? So what makes you special? What makes you Genji? Who are you when you are stripped of your riches, your popularity, your family. . .”

When Genji opened his mouth, he found that no words came to his calling. He was quick to close his mouth and look to the floor. Angela set her tea down and stepped up to him. Her expression softened as she dipped into his sight. Her left hand rose and gently rested against his chest. A quiet, reassuring smile found its way onto her features. Her right shoulder rose into a weak shrug.

“It’s okay to not have an answer to that right now. But, I hope that. . . I hope that when it matters, you do.”

Angela’s hand lifted from his chest and pressed to his cheek. Her lips found the side of his jaw. Finally, she stepped away from him. As she passed by, a reassuring squeeze was given to his hand. When she reached the door, Angela turned back to catch him looking after her. Only this time, he hadn’t stopped her, nor had she stopped herself. A simple nod was offered in his direction. A knock on the door opened it, and without saying any goodbyes, Angela faded into the crowd.

* * *

“Is he an asset or not?” Reyes asked in the infirmary a handful of hours later.

“I don’t think he truly knows who he is, Gabriel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prologue to Forgiven is finally out! I hope you enjoy it.  
> Feel free to check out my linktree if you're interested in keeping up with me!  
> Donations are lovely but not expected. ♥
> 
> • https://linktr.ee/bumblingseabiscuit  
> • https://ko-fi.com/bumblingseabiscuit


	3. { Darkness }

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela saves Genji's life. But, what kind of life is she saving him for?

Memory, it was one of those things hard to escape, even in death. For Genji, his mind ran in overtime at the brink of the abyss. Swirling in the depths, a blue dragon, one whose roar was deafening in the silence. Slowly, his hand pulled from the hole in his chest and he reached towards the kami. Yet, it was not the dragon he found within his palm. A surprising amount of pressure clasped his hand and guided it back down to his sword wound. His palm was pressed back to his skin and forced to remain there.

“He’s dying.”

When he heard her voice, he was reminded of the tales of angels. That the voice sounded so familiar to him was a fleeting memory. Still, it was the last thought he remembered having that night before everything turned to nothing, and the dragon’s light faded from the abyss.

Angela’s eyes widened as Genji’s pulse drifted. Without order, she snatched up a nanite canister. She was quick to administer it to his chest, an action that drew the attention of Reyes. He stepped forward with enough ferocity that Angela dropped the used canister in favor of her blaster. It was lifted and pointed at his head without her looking up from her patient. The other hand pressed into his vitals. Reyes slowly lifted his hands in surrender.

“We need leverage.”

“You need him alive.”

“She’s right, y’know, ain’t no use in leveraging a dead guy,” McCree pointed out. “Let her work.”

Reyes balled his hands into fists and slowly lowered his arms. Angela glanced up long enough to see him take a step back. Satisfied, she lowered the blaster and set it beside her patient. Attention drifted across the wide array of injuries. Stepping up to her side, McCree knelt down to her side and pressed his hands to two wounds that hadn’t yet stopped bleeding.

“How long until he’s stabilized,” Reyes pushed. “We can’t stay here.”

“Should’a shot him,” McCree mumbled.

A mumble that brought a weak smile to Angela’s lips. Despite the distractions, she had snatched up a nanobiotic rejuvenation accelerator. It was a tool that looked somewhat like a flashlight. The light it radiated was much warmer— nearly holy in its application. Beneath its ray, some of Genji’s wounds closed on a superficial level. The device was stored and the pause allowed the panic to settle in her chest. McCree spotted it on her expression and was quick to gather Genji in his arms.

“I’ve done what I can for him here. We need to get back to base.”

Reyes gave a sharp nod. As a one man army, Gabriel was able to clear the path of lingering Shimada agents, while the rest of the operatives returned to their helicopter rendezvous. Most of the flight was spent trying to keep Genji’s vitals stabilized. The look on Angela's face, however, was one that McCree would later describe to Jack as doleful. Upon arriving at the base, Genji was placed upon a stretcher and wheeled immediately into the surgical bay. Angela changed from field attire and into scrubs.

Genji was transferred from the stretcher onto a medical bed and placed under a larger accelerator light. Scissors were used to cut off the remainder of bloodied attire while the nanofluorescence radiation unit (NRU) secured itself overtop of him. When Angela turned to the data-pad, her eyes blew open from shock. Lips parted slightly and she quickly zoomed the screen in with her fingers. Angela creased her brows at the puncture wounds in nearly all of his organs: _were those . . . teeth marks?_

The thought left her when she heard a shuddering breath from the table. Genji’s eyes had opened to an unfamiliar location. He twisted in an attempt to stand only to lose his strength. Angela was quick to his side, his shoulder carefully pressed back to the bed. Well, the shoulder he still had; the other was counted amongst several severe injuries.

“You need to lay still,” she ordered gently.

“Where am I?”

“With Overwatch. You have been badly wounded. I need to repair—.”

“—He’s awake,” Reyes pointed out; his voice loud over the intercom as he watched from the viewing deck. “Good. Step aside, Ziegler. Genji and I need to have a talk.”

Genji winced from the pain and lulled his head to the side. He blinked a blurry gaze, passed the light, and tried to focus on the figure above it. Alas, all he could see of Reyes was a man-shaped shadow. Angela stepped into his guard protectively and grabbed one of her tools in defiance.

“I have a job to do, Reyes. Take it up with Morrison if you think you get to stop me.”

“Stop you? Need I remind you he’s part of the Shimada clan?”

“I am part of no clan,” Genji interrupted.

The smile that cracked across Gabriel’s features was one Angela considered breaking her oath over. The heat of her glower was enough to make Gabriel right himself soon enough. He cleared his throat but any further order that came through the intercom went ignored. Angela returned to her computer and began ordering her nanites into the direction of his injuries. Once finished, she began preparing the biotech that was the only means to save his life.

“What if you could be part of something greater than a clan?” Reyes asked from above. “A group that would fight for you instead of against you.”

“I have nothing left to fight for.”

“Peace? Love? —Revenge.”

Genji was silent for several long seconds. It was just long enough that Angela returned to him to make sure he hadn’t passed out. At that moment he gently took her hand— a comfort he wasn’t sure if he was offering himself or her. Nonetheless, it caught her off guard long enough to take a pause from her work. Her brows creased and she gently squeezed back.

“I can save you,” she whispered. “If you would let me.”

Tears mixed in with blood as they rolled down blade-carved features. He now stared at the light above him. Once more he was reminded of angels. Yet, pulled from the brink, he could recognize this was no heaven. He took a shaken breath and slightly nodded his head. His gaze fell to her and he gave a more assured nod.

“I will do what you have me do,” when he spoke, it was to Angela and not Reyes.

Unseen by Angela, Reyes smiled again. Something about his expression seemed knowing. When he pressed the button for the intercom, it was less a demanding action and more a delighted one. He leaned a little closer to it while his attention was focused firmly on Angela.

“You may save him now, doctor.”

Angela showed no sign of being affected by Gabriel’s taunting. Instead, she offered Genji a final squeeze of the hand. A needle lowered from the device above him and administered an anesthetic. Once more, the darkness consumed him, and he wondered if he was forsaken by kami and the heavens alike. When he would wake up hours later, it was to find himself as much man as he was machine— if not more.

But, that was not before Angela was called into the office. An infiltration mission and several hours of surgery had left her tired. There hadn’t been time for her to process her thoughts entirely on all that had happened. To find Jack standing at his desk with Reyes on the side? A switch was flicked off in her head. Without a word, Angela stormed over to Reyes and connected her fist with the half-smirk that had been forming on his lips. Unsuspecting, the commander took the full force and stumbled off to the side.

“Angela!” Jack shouted in surprise.

She wasn’t having any of it. She broke away from Gabriel as he collected himself and stormed over to Jack’s desk. A finger was pointed at him sharply.

“This isn’t what we agreed to!” she yelled back, only far angrier. “I told you, I wouldn’t be a part of your wars. I told you that my technology, and I, are to save people. The next time your agents attempt to hinder that is the next time I will break the arrangement we have here. And not in the way you want. Do you understand me, Jack? Never! Again!”

Stunned by her outburst, Jack slowly sat down in his chair. He glanced to Gabriel, who had returned to his brooding archetype in the corner. He was offered a shrug in response to the look before Jack’s attention returned to a furious Angela. Heat burned at his ears and he cleared his throat in an attempt to deal with the embarrassment. Meanwhile, Angela straightened up and crossed her arms beneath her chest. She looked down upon him the only way she could.

“I’m sorry we put you in that position, Angela,” Jack began. “It won’t happen again.”

“It better not, Jack,” she responded a touch flatly. “Is that all you wanted?”

“Actually. . . it’s not what I wanted at all. I wanted to congratulate you on a successful mission.”

“If that was successful, Jack, you need to re-evaluate.”

Angela pivoted on her heel and made her way towards the door. Blue eyes connected with Gabriel’s and he could have sworn they seemed darker that morning. The door was slammed behind her when she left. The conversation that followed was not one that she would become privy to for years but it nonetheless resulted in what changed the fate of Overwatch forever.

* * *

Genji awoke once more to a room he hadn’t recognized. This one was smaller— dimmer. It felt like it was meant to be personal despite how foreign it all was. Yet, he couldn’t shake how sterile it all still felt. The wall behind his bed was a bright gold while the rest was all white. The large window had golden curtains that were pulled shut. Two faux candles brightened the room a little on either side of the window. The floors were white but the bed, dresser, and tables were all made from a beige wood.

He noted the armoire lacked a mirror. A thought that caused him to look down at himself— or more specifically: his hands. The one made from biotech curled in sync with flesh. His brows creased and he pulled the blankets from his body. The metallic hand continued to trail down the various enhancements that had been built into his body. Eyes were blown wide open and he looked up sharply when he heard a door click. Instincts kicked in and he reached back. He grabbed a remote and wielded it like a blade.

Angela rounded her way into the room with a tray only to catch Genji naked and afraid (or, well, wielding a remote). She gasped sharply and pivoted on her heel. Fingers clenched tightly at the display to keep it from rattling and spilling. Genji seemed just as surprised to see her. He glanced down to his remote-wielding hand and quickly dropped it onto the table. The bed’s blanket was grabbed and yanked over him. An action that caused it to tear— the strength new to him.

“Doctor!” he exclaimed as he fussed to get the blanket tied.

“Genji,” she greeted with an attempt to keep her voice calm, “I am sorry to have surprised you.”

When she was certain enough time had passed, Angela peeked over her shoulder. She caught him fumbling with the knot of the blanket. Her head bowed in an attempt to hide the color from her cheeks. Slowly, she pivoted and made her way to the bed. The tea tray was set down and she entered his guard.

“May I?”

It was a question that followed her already inviting herself. Genji’s hands slowly pulled from the blanket as hers took over. The blanket was thinned at the side of his hip before she tied it tight into a double knot. When she finished ‘dressing’ him, she glanced up to find his gaze had fallen to his hands. Angela’s breath caught and she swallowed thickly. Slowly, she placed her hands in his and guided him to the edge of the bed.

“Sit. . .”

“What has been done to me?”

“I saved what I could,” she whispered. “I just. . . I couldn’t save it all. What was done to you, it was—. . . what happened to you?”

“I think I died. I did not think he would kill me but. . . but he did, did he not? Hanzo. . .”

Angela’s eyes widened; Genji’s brother had done this to him!? The news was enough to make her sit at his side. Her elbows were set on her lap and she brought clasped hands to her lips. She stared towards the window while her thoughts raced. Genji’s gaze had fallen to the floor as he tried to work through it all, himself.

“My father died,” he explained slowly. “My brother took over, just like he was destined to. He came to me, he demanded my loyalty, demanded I take his side. But that was his life, his fate, not mine. I told him no. He was so. . . enraged. What other answer had he expected? I had made my stance clear all our life. But, he just attacked me. When I defended myself he just got more angry. I have never seen him so angry. And when I would not submit, he— he. . .”

“I wish he made a better choice, Genji,” Angela murmured when his voice fell from him.

“And now I am to do the same.”

“No. You are not beholden to deals made under the belief of survival. It was I who saved you and I will not keep you here.”

“I thank you for your kindness, but I gave my word. I intend to keep it. If the Shimada clan is willing to do what they did to me then there is no telling what they will do. They must be stopped.”

Angela folded her arms over her knees and sunk her weight into them. Her head bowed. It was her turn to stare at the floor. Genji glanced at her and his expression softened. Slowly, he reached for her with the hand that was still flesh. It was placed carefully to her shoulder and he tried to draw her posture up. A smile weakly grew on his features— that time he knew it to be an attempt to comfort them both.

“Overwatch, mn? Perhaps you undervalued just high up your friends are.”

Angela glanced up, the shock on her expression clear. Doe eyes studied his expression and her brows creased together. A meek smile matched his and the shoulder opposite to the one he touched rose in a slight shrug.

“I can help people here. And, despite some of our differences, I believe I can save them, too.”

“You saved me.”

“Did I? Or did I just indebt you to another life you don’t want?”

Genji hummed in response. He squeezed Angela’s shoulder and slid from the bed. He took a minute to rock from heel to toe— the sensations (or lack there-of) new to him. Once he was certain he could walk without looking ridiculous, he made his way over to the window. The curtain string was tugged upon and the curtain pulled apart. Outside, beautiful treetops and a sunny afternoon. He nodded to himself.

“It matters now, does it not?” Genji asked quietly. “Who I am when I have lost my riches, my popularity. . . my family. Yet, I still do not have an answer for you.

“So maybe I can find one here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The official first chapter to Forgiven is finally out! I hope you enjoy it.  
> I will be aiming to try and produce a chapter every week. Bear with me if life happens!  
> Feel free to check out my linktree if you're interested in keeping up with me!  
> Donations are lovely but not expected. ♥
> 
> • https://linktr.ee/bumblingseabiscuit  
> • https://ko-fi.com/bumblingseabiscuit


	4. { Connections We Make }

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji's recovery takes time and time gives him room to think. But, maybe, those thoughts don't have to be all bad.

It was hard to not go dizzy when one’s head connected that hard with the floor mat. Angela had been knocked with ease to the floor by Gabriel’s gloved hand. Weight was placed into her forearm as she reached up with her free hand to touch a reddened spot. Words were swallowed thickly and her hand lowered to the floor. Rage bubbled up in her chest as she began to stand.

“Talon won’t give you this much time to recover,” Reyes lectured.

“Good thing you’re not Talon.”

One of her gloves was unbound from her fist so that she could better rub at an aching cheek. It was an action interrupted as Reyes brought another fist towards her. It was one she managed to dodge. Another step was taken back as he continued to pursue her. Overwhelmed by his offense, Angela stumbled and took another couple of blows. One to her stomach and another to her features. She collapsed down to a knee.

“Enough.”

The voice came from the observation deck. For reasons unknown to Angela, Jack had thought it’d be a great idea for Gabriel to be her field trainer. She hadn’t decided if it was spite or something more aggravating. That she glanced towards her gear went undisciplined— even if she shot Reyes, she was destined to be the one to fix him up afterwards. Her fist clenched then flexed before it removed the lingering glove.  
  
Angela stayed on her knee as she glanced up towards the observation deck. The daggers she glared into Jack made him shrug in response. Yet, her heat simmered when she spotted who was in his company. Genji leaned against a nearby wall in silence. From her distance, it was hard to tell between her and Gabriel which one he was truly watching. She wasn’t sure which one she wanted him to be watching— neither, was the best option.  
  
“Angela has an appointment.”

“Yeah, Jack, she does. Here. You have her on the field and all she is right now is a detriment.”

Angela rolled her eyes in response. Without a word, she stood from her spot and moved towards the door. When Gabriel had the gull to grab her bicep, however, she paused and looked at him from the corners of her eyes.

“You will remove your hand from my arm or one day you’ll find yourself without it, Gabriel. We’re done. I have to do my actual job.”

Reyes released her but the look he gave Jack revealed another argument that was able to be heard through the halls later that day. An argument that Angela paid little mind to. She was hired for a reason— one that everyone at Overwatch had seemingly forgotten. Still, she continued her way out of the sparring bay and made her way into the changing room. A shower was necessary and she couldn’t get into something more comfortable faster.

When she emerged from the changing room, Genji had leaned up against the wall across from the door. Angela paused, the door still held open, and she stared at him a little doe-eyed. After a moment, she swallowed her pride and stepped over the threshold. Tension was dispelled in her hands when she flexed her fingers and continued on her way down the hall. Thoughts rushed through her head as she made her way back towards his assigned room.

“You need a better teacher,” Genji spoke first.

“It’s not what I’m here for.”

“No,” he agreed, “but they will not understand that. So, you must use what they desire to your advantage.”

Angela creased her brows together. She glanced to her side and up at Genji’s expression. His eyes hadn’t left her but when she finally looked at him, he smiled. She pulled a breath into her chest and released it slowly. As her anger subsided, she was left with uncertainty and pain. More questions than answers spun through her mind but most of them centered around how much of Overwatch she could use to her advantage.

The rest of the way back to his room was silent. When they got to the door, Angela stepped to the side so he could enter first.

“How?” she finally asked. “You said I could use this to my advantage. How?”

Genji passed by her with ease and returned to his bed. He pushed himself up onto it but with noticeable pain. Angela was at his side in seconds. Concern replaced exhaustion as she examined the areas his suffering wasn’t masked in. A few spots around his implants had inflamed. Nearby, a locked drawer was opened with her thumb print.

The device she pulled out was one Genji had seen before but hadn’t known the name of. It was pen-like, more round and larger, and when in use a gilded laser shot out from it. It brought him comfort in that it mended how his body and machinery connected— but reminded him of his new nature. The thought tugged at the corner of his lips and he distracted himself, instead, with an answer to her question.

“First, you get a better teacher.”

“It isn’t really that simple. I mean, Jack assigned Gabriel to me— not sure I can say why.”

“The sun can soothe or it can burn. He is hoping that in time you will burn. That he can convince you that this is necessary. Perhaps it is, this world has shown that it needs heroes. Yet, heroes come in many forms. They can be fighters or they can be healers.”

“Starting to feel like Overwatch doesn’t have room for healers.”

Genji reached for her wrist and softly wrapped his fingers around it. The action brought her gaze to his and her brows knit with confusion. That she was puzzled hadn’t hid the hurt in her eyes.

“Overwatch needs you, Angela. They just do not know it, yet.”

Angela’s lips twisted but she wasn’t able to stop the frown that formed on them. Tears welled in her eyes and she was easily brought into his grasp. His hug gifted a warmth she wasn’t expecting. One that made her weaken within it. She slowly wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. Nose pressed into his surviving shoulder. She stayed like that and Genji found it easy to keep her there.

“I will train you,” Genji spoke softer than before. “If Overwatch wants me for my skills then they cannot deny how they will benefit you.”

“You are not—. . .”

“—I know. So you help me and I help you. The art of a ninja is not just for subterfuge; it is to protect. I will show you when you believe I am ready.”

A moment passed of silent contemplation before she squeezed him a bit harder. Slowly, she pulled from his hold on her so that she could find his eyes with hers. Whatever she found there — courage, perhaps — made her nod her head in submission. Genji had more respect for her beliefs than most of her superiors, it seemed, and that was not an opportunity she was about to let slip through her fingers. Another, more firm nod was given to him before she returned her attention to doctoring him.

“Your prosthetics are continuing to heal. In time, they should feel. . . uniform.”

“They will never feel natural, will they?”

“I— I can only hope that with time it will be as though they were always a part of you. A part of you that makes you superior.”

“Superior is a matter of perspective, Angela.”

“It is a perspective I hope you will have one day.”

Genji frowned a little and looked at his hands. He closed them in sync but only one of them could he identify as truly real. The heartache wore away at his expression but it was mixed with genuine pain. That Angela was able to catch both made her chest hollow out. Carefully, she reached out and placed her hands upon his. It was a creature comfort but one she tried to offer nonetheless.

“What hurts?”

“All of it,” Genji admitted. “Perhaps not always a true pain. It is hard to explain. It is like I still have these parts of myself but then they are lost and that brings. . . brings pain that leaves me awake at night. I can feel what is not there, feel all the memories of what happened to what has been lost.”

“Phantom pain, we call it phantom pain. Your mind remembers what your body has lost. There is a treatment I can try?”

Uncertainty found its place in Genji's expression. Yet, some of the light that darkened in his eyes found the will to brighten. He nodded with a quiet, ‘Yes.’ Angela smiled at him and squeezed his hands. With that, she parted from him and moved over to the bathroom. A long, oddly shaped mirror was wheeled out from being tucked up against the side. It wasn’t what Genji had expected and the way he wore his confusion bubbled a laugh out of Angela.

“It is called mirror therapy. Maybe it is a bit old school but it has had phenomenal success. Can’t argue with results, right?”

“I will try anything you think is a good idea.”

The unspoken compliment brought a smile to Angela’s lips. She nodded her head and rolled the mirror over to his bedside. With a few adjustments, she had secured it around his prosthetic arm. His real arm was left to reflect in the mirror— leaving a mimic of what was once his former, real arm. Angela smoothed his hand out with hers and nodded towards the reflection.

“Okay, just. . . try to relax and watch the reflection.”

Angela started with his fingertips. She kneaded them between her thumb and index finger. Genji couldn’t help but glance at her working on his hand but quickly returned to watching her work in the mirror. Diligence was given to the treatment but it wasn’t the same kind of scientific nature he was used to. There was no technology, no long words, not even a pill— it was just connection.

Since he nearly died, it was the first time that Genji realized he was still capable of feeling close to someone.

Transfixed on the thought, his awareness of his surroundings slipped from him. It wasn’t until she reached his wrist that he realized he no longer felt pain in the palm of his hand. It all felt so real, it was as though he no longer had a prosthetic, like it wasn’t all gone, like he was whole. The break from his new reality was also what set him back in it. Carefully, he pulled his wrist from her and took her hand, instead. Yet, his eyes were still focused on the mirror, still focused on the feeling of connection.

“Genji,” Angela called gently, “are you okay. . .?”

“I—. . . I think for the first time, since waking up here, I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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